Veteran Australian cinematographer Don McAlpine has given an insight into both the brilliance and the obsessiveness of Robin Williams as they worked on three movies together.

For the 1984 comic drama Moscow On The Hudson, the late comedian and actor learnt to play the saxophone and speak Russian before playing a lovable defector to the United States.

"Without any previous experience, he insisted that he was going to play the saxophone soundtrack for the film," McAlpine said. "And he learnt Russian. He was quite fluent ... by the time the film started."

Don McAlpine worked on several movies with Robin Williams.

For Mrs Doubtfire, Williams would arrive as early as 2am for five hours of make-up before a gruelling 12 hours of filming. Yet he would sometimes insist on 40 to 50 takes to get his performance right, even when director Christopher Columbus was satisfied.

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"Almost half that 12 hours' work was him obsessing about trying to get the perfect take," McAlpine said. "He would go on and on ... He was just striving. I don't know whether he was ever happy with any of his performances on the day."

McAlpine, whose other movies include My Brilliant Career, Romeo & Juliet and Moulin Rouge, also worked with Williams on the 1995 romantic comedy Nine Months.He described him as a wonderful person who was obsessed about pleasing an audience – "almost to a fanatical level".

Robin Williams. Photo: Getty Images

"It was a sort of madness but out of that madness came wonderful entertainment."

When Williams was not performing, McAlpine said he was a cultured and learned man who was interested in many things.

"You weren't talking to the same person. He wasn't performing, he wasn't playing off you ... it was just an entirely different character."

In the US, Williams' family have spoken of their deep and profound loss, as the world continues to grieve for the film and television star who died this week at his California home.

Their statements were released as media outlets around the world were reporting the specific details of Williams' suicide, a move that triggered a backlash from the public over what was seen to be an intrusive level of reportage.

Williams' children Zak, Zelda and Cody spoke of their father's humour, warmth, kindness and gentle manner.

"The entire world is forever a little darker, less colourful and less full of laughter in his absence," 25-year-old Zelda Williams said in a statement. "He was always warm, even in his darkest moments.

"While I'll never, ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay, there's minor comfort in knowing our grief and loss, in some small way, is shared with millions.''

Williams' eldest son Zachary, 31, echoed the sentiment, saying he would carry his father's heart with him, and asked: "Those that loved him to remember him by being as gentle, kind and generous as he would be; [and that people] seek to bring joy to the world as he sought."

Younger son Cody, 23, said simply: "The world will never be the same without him."

At the request of the family, their full statements were published online on Fairfax's websites.

Marin County's assistant deputy chief coroner, Lieutenant Keith Boyd, told US media that Williams had made two attempts on his life in his final hours, and many media outlets published the details of those attempts, including the method used and the position of Williams' body.

The news conference at which Boyd spoke was carried live by many US networks, which interrupted scheduled programming for it, and by rolling news channels around the world.

The volume of information in Boyd's statements triggered a backlash from the public, objecting to what many felt was an unnecessary level of detail. Many counselling and crisis services discourage the publication of details in suicide cases.

Fairfax Media has chosen not to publish those details.

Lifeline, an Australian charity providing suicide and crisis support services, said it did "not think it is appropriate to be so explicit in reporting a death by suicide".

Though the 63-year-old Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner starred in films that grossed more than US$6 billion ($6.5 billion) at the box office, he leaves behind a relatively modest estate worth about US$25 million, including his US$6 million home in Tiburon, Cailfornia.

He also leaves behind three unreleased films, November's Merry Friggin’ Christmas, December's sequel to Night at the Museum, Secret of the Tomb, and 2015's Absolutely Anything, as well as a fourth film, Boulevard, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April but is not yet in general release.

According to reports, Williams was also planning to return to the role of Mrs Doubtfire, the Mary Poppins-esque nanny he played in the 1993 hit comedy of the same name. A sequel was in development, with original director Christopher Columbus on board and a second draft screenplay from David Berenbaum finished.